Wolves fair game as Sweden sets cull

I agree with Mr. Nilsson: I think the authroities need to be consistent and name the REAL reason for the culling, and then stick to it.

The first reason stated some months ago was that due to in-breeding the wolf population became plagued with heart and other vital organ diseases. So if this is the reason, then catch, sedate, test and mark these individuals clearly and then let people hunt them. Otherwise how are hunters to know if they are shooting down a healthy individual?

If the reason is to improve acceptance of the animals, this is a weka excuse for hunting them down. Effective measures should be taken. This is a half-a**d attempt to "look pretty" in the eyes of the farmers and will not help the problem in the least.

Nice attempt at spamming there Sara

Message: from a wolf. "Hey, leave us alone! We have our rights as well, and it's Christmas. But, many thanks to Sara at Tile Laminate Flooring for her highly appropriate and welcome support. Maybe she would like to join the Union of Wolves? She could help us to buy some body armour."

Where is my common sense!

My god, You want to be accepted? Have yourself killed!

How did I miss that one…

Wouldn't relocation work better?

How will this hunt be supervised?

I guess, bullets are cheaper than education…

Santiago, the non tile laminate flooring guy

There are several at the office. I don't have a gun, but will happily point them out to anyone who does.

Read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings to see some nordic tales of wolves as refashioned by Tolkien.

Same situation in Minnesota. Wolf population exceeds what available prey species can support in good health, Department of Natural Resources proposes hunting season to keep population at healthy level and urban know nothing "enviromentalists are outraged and there are successful in blocking management efforts. As a result wolves deplete deer herd and target domestic animals like cattle, sheep, turkeys, and dogs.

It's humans who should have population controls as we are taking over many wildlife resources . Sad to hear more than 10,000 red neck hunters have applied to commit the slaughter of these iintelligent creatures who only usually kill to eat . After all humans kill million of animals every year to eat when they dont need to. Glad to be a healthy vegetarian .

I agree with Mr. Nilsson and Redbee.

I specifically agree with the "10,000 red neck hunters" phrase, but "hunter" can be replaced by "slaughter-house worker" in this instance.

Who would have ever thought that Sweden would stoop so low to become like the United States, and that moron Palin, who shoots the wolves from helicopters, thus assuring that the animals will be wounded and driven to exhaustion as they slaughter them.

World War III is necessary to cull the human overpopulation and to weed the genetically unfit from the gene pool.

Give it a rest, Redbee. We are still (for the time being) at the top of the food chain.

Ligonberrie you are so full of crap your eyeballs are brown. Culling wolves from a heliocopter doesn't endure they are wounded. That depends on the quality of the shooter and the Alaska DNR marksmen are very good.

Alaska seems to have plenty of wolves, mooose, caribou and bear. Looks like the Alaska Department of Natural Resources is doing a good job of keeping populations at optimum levels.

Have you ever shot a weapon from a helicopter at a moviing target?

You are talking out of the other end of your morphology, as one other commenter does each time she/he posts.

I would never talk out of the foul region where your head has apparantly assumed permanent residence.

The answer to your question is Yes.

So unlike you, I know what I'm talking about.

I also know that the Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources is a first rate organization with a stellar record of wildlife management and that their sharpshooters hit what they're shooting at.

All you have is your unfamiliarity inane and emotional political bias.

I would have to agree with lingonberrie and Redbee! And I do come from a region that has wolves, but very few because humans have hunted them to the brink of extinction.

**Investor612** you do lack one major thing.....it's called compassion and respect. The aerial gunning down of wolves is VERY inhumane. Culling seems to be the opposite to the resolution of this problem. They should try introduce new wolves from different regions to diversify the population so they won't have inbreeding.

So as much as you think you know what you're talking about, it's not up to you or anybody else to play god.

(and I am also vegetarian so don't try to pull that card)

Hitler was a vegetarian too.

I live in Minnesota and in an area where there are more wolves than anywhere else in the lower 48. We have so many deer that they allow five deer per season. I work for a railroad and seeing wolves from trains is a common occurance, seeing them and sign out in the woods is also quite common. Duluth now has special seasons within the city limits for bow hunters be cause the deer herds have moved into the city limits because of over crowding, its because of global warming the does have been giving birth to triplets rather than aborting one or two fawns during the winter.

If any of this has to do with inbred wolves then yes the numbers should be taken down. Then import some wolves to have a new bloodline introduced because lowering the numbers now to fewer individuals is just insuring inbreeding and sealing the fate for no more wolves in Sweden. And if there isn't enough deer for the wolves, which is doubtful at only 210 wolves, then lower the number of deer hunters are able take, to bolster deer population. What is really need is someone in animal conservation to properly manage the regulation of populations, because it seems that job is not being done in any satisfactory way.

norling,

Up until 2 years ago I lived in Northern Minnesota too and still have a cabin there. The deer population fluctuates depending on the severity of the winters. In Northern Minnesota the popuation took a serious hit in last years hard winter.

Deer don't move into urban areas because of overcrowding. The move in because all the lawns and shrubs people plant are a veritable smorgasboard to them.

The big reason the deer populatyion in North America has skyrocketed has more to do with changes in land use than weather. Clearing and farming the land has vreated much more food for them to eat. Ditto for emerging growth forest after logging. So we get more deer and less moose.

And Minnesota have too many wolves. They are expanding into areas of the state, like the Red River valley where they have never been present. And they do kill pets and livestock. Several pets have been killed within 10 miles of my cabin. A few years ago they came in the night twice to try and get my dogs which I thankfully keep in a secure kennel right outside the cabin.

The Dept. of Naturtal Resources in Minnesota uses hunting seasons to keep wildlife populations in balance with the habitat and, in the case of predators, the prey species. One of the reasons why it's possibe for hunters to take multiple deer in SOME parts of the state is that the number of hunters is declining.Unfortunately the emotional urban "environmentalists" have prevented scientific management of the wolf population.

Your totally wrong where I live the land is basically unfarmable, the deer populations are huge because we have not had a normal winter since 1996, last winter was still above average and I know because I work out in the weather. We used to have at least20 or better -20F or colder much colder a season, now we only have less than ten. Keep your pets under control and the wolves wont eat em and I won't shoot em when I see them out in the woods unattended.

norling,

Last winter was not warmer than normal. 1995-1996, what you call "normal," was an unusually cold winter. The all time state record of 63 below was set that year in Embarrass. It was 62 below that nioght at my cabin. Lake Superior was frozen all the way across for the first time in decades. And it's snow as well as cold which impacts deer populations as it makes it difficult for deer to get to food.

My comments on deer populations in NORTH AMERICA and the impact of changes in the landscape,farming and logging, are a scientific fact.

As for your advice on pets, the fact I keep my dogs kenneled is what saved their lives. But wolves so bold they kill neighbors' dogs IN THEIR OWN YARDS are a problem as are those that kill livestock.

You were discussing northern MN. I don't care about wolves in Sweden or any where else. We have a lot of wolves and we also have a lot of deer, we are also getting quite a few mountain lions an increase in bob cats lynks wild turkeys and opossums, these are not now nor ever been native to this area of the lower 48, some people have theories, I tend to take the advice of scientists over the advice of republicans or ministers.

I have no idea why the the link to the thread about the frozen stiff showed up.

Actually, norling, you seem to barf up whatever is convenient to your ideology rather than pay attention to scientists.

Here's a chance to turn over a new leaf. You claimed last winter was above average. Here's a link to the actual data being cited by the head meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Duluth which shows it was below average:

www.brainerddispatch.com/031409/new_20090314055.shtml

turkeys were introduced

never seen a possum in N. MN

mountain lions have likely been present for some time. I've seen 2. In 1985 and in 1994 and talked at length to the DNR biologist in Grand Rapids about the population after the latter sighting.

lynx and bobcat populations have been present as long as I've been alive(over 60 years). Their ranges overlap slightly. In years with heavy snow lynx do better because their large feet enable them to run on top of the snow. In years of light snow bobcats though smaller, are more aggressive and force lynx futher north.

Duluth is an economic basket case. It's natural advantages, great, picturesque location, tourist business, and port facilities should make it the most prosperous smaller city in MN. Instead it's a sewer of crime and economic hardship because it's been controlled by liberal,Democrat, union stooge, idiots for a century.

Wrrrong again turkeys were introduced in the south eastern tip of Mn. years ago, they have been expanding their range to the north over the last 15 years because the nights in the north have been getting progressivly warmer. Opossums have never been part of Mn. fauna ever, the first one I saw was nine years ago just before we ran over with the train I was on just north of the twin cities. Now weare running over them in Brainerd. The state DNR denied the existance of cougars for years until people started to show proof with pictures and videos, now they are tracking the movement of one in the south of the state and its been quite a stupid debate in the star tribune the last couple of weeks, your feelings about Duluth have no bearing on this exchange just your chance to rant I guess, I must be doing something right you figure I'm a socialist and Streja figures I'm a "right wing nutter".

Thought the topic was SE not US...my mistake

YOU introduced politics, but I suppose your standards don't apply to you. I just think you're a bit of a self-impressed jerk.

I take it your self-proclaimed affinity for scientists led you to read the data and comments by the head NWS meteorologist in Duluth I provided and that you now know you were WRONG claiming last winter was above average. Maybe you'll grow a set of stones some day and admit it.

I've never seen a possum in Northern MN. I'll be naive and take your word they're as far North as Brainerd. About 20 years ago they started showing up in South Dakota where I live now too, used to seem them as road kill all over on my annual pheasant hunting trips, but a couple tough winters have ended that. Just for kicks I called a friend who's an engineer on a couple short line railroads, one just north of the Twin Cities and the other in NW MN and NE ND. He's never seen a possum.

For years the DNR thought the sightings of mountain lions were transients. Now they think there's a small resident population. Should you ever get your butt off the train and spend a little time in the woods, you'll understand why cougars in Koochiching, Lake, St. Louis or Itasca county would be a bit of a secret. Lots of woods, swamp, and game and they're a naturally secretive animal.

Lots of animals expand and contract their range and have for quite some time.

Coyotes used to be rare in MN. Now they're all over.

There never were bears or wolves in the Red River valley. Now there are.

From the late 60's until the early 80's the moose herd in NW MN expanded and they were all over the Red River valley and south. Now they're rare even in NW MN(Think the expanding wolf population just might have something to do with it).

Grey Owls were all over the place in unheard of numbers a couple years ago-the lemming and vole population in Canada crashed and they came south.

Cardinals are expanding their range.

Wild turkey's are expanding AFTER BEING REINTRODUCED in many parts of the state.

Ducks are down because of drained wetlands and Canada geese (rare when I was young) are way up because of changes in land use(farming).

Global warming?

It's warmer than it was at the end of the little ice age 160 years ago.

It's warmer than when I was a kid in the 1950's

It's not as warm as when my parents were young in the 1930's

It's not as warm as it was 1000 years ago durting the Viking explorations and settlements

It's not as warm as it was 10 years ago.

@Norling.......... Plato, Leonardo Da Vinci, Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Goh, Einstein, and many more were vegetarians. SO WHAT'S YOU'RE POINT?!?!?!? There's nothing wrong with being a vegetarian.

I agree that their is nothing wrong with vegetarians, but WWIII and death to the genetically inferior sounds like Hitler to me.

The moose are absent from most parts of the state because of brain worm ( I think its your problem too ) any body who is not aware of opossums in Mn. is going through life with his eyes closed their carcasses are all over I35 from the twin Cities to Duluth, this thread is about wolves in Sweden and personally I don't really care about them, you started using bs about mythilogical problems about wolves in my back yard and I responded.

LOL. They get so emotional when they can't defend arguments based on their feelings. First all you cared about was wolves in Minnesota and now it's wolves in Sweden. make up your mindless.

Wipe the spittle from your monitor, relax, and try reading. I never said there were no possums in MN. I said I'd never seen one in NORTHERN MINNESOTA.

Brain worm in moose has been around since I was a kid. By the way, I don't suspect it in you because it would require that a brain be present.

You were also wrong about wild turkeys. They didn't spread from the initial reintroduction SE MN as you claimed. There were introductions all over the state.

www.fqf.qc.ca/fqf-doc/northn_wild_turkey_abstracts.pdf

Maybe we could just encourage people to hit a wolf with their car every so often and call it Swedish Possum?

Prize to NORLING for the irrelevant logical fallicy, and playing the "Hitler was a veggie" card.

Stalin was a meat eater. What exactly is your point?

And by the way I am not a veggie.

Personally I am disgusted by this action. People need to learn to accept the wolves and take the corresponding safeguards, not cull a noble animal down to levels that can barely support a healthy continuation of the species. The world has a population of 6.5 billion, Sweden a relatively low 9 million, yet we expect the wolves to stay down at 210 TWO HUNDRED and ten! in a country that could easily support many thousands.

I commend the EPA for taking action based on sound game management principles and not emotional opinion based on a romantic image of the wolf. Nothing wrong with a healthy wolf population but it must be controlled because as much as you want to believe they will only kill to eat and then only the weak or sick, this has been found to fiction. The wolf will kill whatever and when ever without prejudice.

And now Sweden became the shame of the European Union. Unfortunately the Swedish Hunting Association is very influential and its members set in the Parliament. What can we do?? So... a country like Sweden with an area of 449,964 km2 has 200 wolves and those corrupt parliamentarians say they are too more.... What a hypocrisy, shame on you ! !